Entry: Alexis Matute, INIAP (Ecuador)

WCF and the Cocoa Borlaug Fellows Program, together with USDA/ARS, have introduced me to new agricultural techniques for cocoa cultivation with an emphasis on plant nutrition. These techniques can be implemented more efficiently by cocoa farmers in Ecuador in order to improve productivity and reduce the incidence of diseases.

Alexis Matute works on an experiment at USDA/ARS in Beltsville.

The introduction to companies involved in the production of chocolate products such as Blommer, Barry Callebaut, Hershey, and Mars among others was a completely new and unforgettable experience for me. I learned in more detail about the importance that a well-managed crop at the field level has for these companies.

I hope to improve my country’s cocoa sector with the knowledge gained as a result of this training through seminars, workshops, conferences, etc. and by working directly with farmers to improve the conditions of their farms.

Alexis visits Camden International Commodities Terminal in Camden, New Jersey.

Entry: James Quiroz, INIAP (Ecuador)

My name is James Quiroz Vera. I work at Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIAP) in Ecuador on the national cocoa program in the area of improving genetics. For my first visit to the US, I must say that I have been very impressed by the hospitality, caring nature, and the great spirit of cooperation demonstrated by the institutions that financed and supported my stay for eight weeks (June 1-July 27).

Initially, participating in the Cocoa Borlaug Fellows Program interested me because of its principles and goals such as support for developing countries, and its staff that are involved in different activities to improve living conditions and food security. First, I participated in the WCF Partnership Meeting in Washington, DC, an event that really surpassed my expectations. The meeting covered important topics related to farm level research and the cocoa market. The meeting allowed me to interact with scientists from different regions of the world that are too numerous to name. However, I must mention the welcoming reception from the President of the World Cocoa Foundation Bill Guyton, as well as Program Director Robert Peck, Office Assistant Clementine Leahy and Program Coordinator Virginia Sopyla who did a great job to make our stay a great experience.

At the WCF Partnership Meeting (from left to right): Raquel Guerrero, myself, Alexis Matute and TJ Ryan from ACDI/VOCA.

The visit to the US Department of Agriculture research center in Beltsville was a very enriching experience. I had the opportunity to learn about their work on methodologies to apply biological controls for diseases of cacao (such as frosty pod) and processes for applying microelements to increase the capacity of plants to absorb nutrients and improve their productivity. The meeting with Dr. Lyndel Meinhardt, research leader of the Sustainable Perennial Crops Lab, allowed me to learn about the study and collection of cocoa germplasm material in the Upper Amazon areas of Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Colombia – new potential areas for collaboration between INIAP and USDA.

Entry: Bill Guyton

Dear World Cocoa Foundation Members and Partners,

We are pleased to share some good news! Tracey Duffey, World Cocoa Foundation Program Director for Southeast Asia and Africa, has received the prestigious Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association (PMCA) Marie Kelso Memorial Award. For those of you who may not be familiar with PMCA, it is an international trade association of confectionery manufacturers and companies, located in Pennsylvania. PMCA has a three-fold mission to provide an open forum for the free exchange of information; to promote and direct basic and applied scientific research; and to train confectionery technical personnel worldwide. Each year, the organization holds a Production Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania which is attended by hundreds of industry members from around the world. Tracey's presentation entitled "Managing Pest and Disease Pressures - Cocoa Farmers Perspective” at the PMCA’s 63rd Annual Production Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania was well-received by the audience. We are delighted that PMCA has recognized Tracey for this honor and also thank Virginia Sopyla from WCF who helped in the writing of the technical paper.

Entry: Bill Guyton

Today, I participated in a discussion with this year's Leland International Hunger Fellows at the headquarters of the U.S. Congressional Hunger Center in Washington, DC. The 15 Fellows are embarking on a two year program to learn more about agriculture and poverty alleviation programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. They will be working with the following development organizations and graduate schools:

Catholic Relief Services in partnership with University of Maryland
World Food Programme in partnership with Johns Hopkins University
Save the Children in partnership with American University
Land-o-Lakes in partnership with Columbia University
Action Group for Health in partnership with Yale University
Ikamva Labantu in partnership with University of Washington
CARE International in partnership with Duke University
Bioversity International in partnership with University of Montana
World Food Programme in partnership with Tufts University
World Bank in partnership with Tulane University
Mercy Corps in partnership with George Mason University
Hellen Keller International in partnership with Washington University in St Louis
World Food Programme in partnership with American University
NFED and GCNF in partnership with Tufts University
World Food Programme in partnership with University of Kansas

I spoke briefly about the World Cocoa Foundation's public-private partnerships on sustainable cocoa (Download presentation here). The Fellows asked some good questions regarding the company members' participation in the programs, as well as how the sustainable cocoa principles were developed and put into practice. Other speakers included USAID, Mercy Corps and Walmart.

World Cocoa Foundation and our member companies extend our congratulations to the new Leland International Hunger Fellows and thank the Congressional Hunger Center for the opportunity to participate in today's session.